Brussels Bans Production of Foie Gras

Albeit symbolically–Brussels, the capital of Belgium, has banned the production of foie gras, which, while enjoyed by some as a delicacy, is made from the overgrown liver of force-fed geese. As Expaticanotes, the reason the ban is symbolic is because while production exists in Belgium, “there are currently no foie gras producers in Brussels, but the regional authorities hopes that others will follow its lead.”

According to research conducted by animal rights organization Global Action in the Interest of Animals (GAIA), 84% of Belgians “support a ban on the force feeding of animals,” and secretary of state for animal welfare, Bianca Debaets, states:

“Force-feeding boils down to torture. I cannot permit it. Animals are forced to ingest large quantities of food. This creates an awful lot of stress for the animals and they experience breathing difficulties. The animal’s liver can grow to weigh up to 1 kilo. Under normal circumstances this is barely 100 grams.”

According to the article, Belgium–together with France, Spain, Bulgaria and Hungary, is one of the five countries left that still produces foie gras.

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Lena Tachdjian

Lena Tachdjian is a certified nutritionist and a writer, who splits her time between Canada and Armenia. She writes about nutrition, health, food, recipes, culture, travel, animal rights, and more. You can follow her on her nutrition and travel blog www.thetravelingchamelian.blogspot.com